UK Music Royalties Explained: PRS, PPL and MCPS

A plain-language reference to who collects what in the UK, with links to the guides and free tools for each part.

Music royalties confuse almost everyone at first, and the confusion costs people money. One song can earn in several different ways, each paid by a different organisation to a different person, and none of it arrives unless you have registered the right things in the right places.

This page explains who collects what in the UK, in plain language, and links to the guides and free tools that go into detail. It is a reference page. If you want an action plan for running your career, see our self-management guide instead.

It is general information, not legal or financial advice. Rates, rules and payment dates change, so check prsformusic.com and ppluk.com for current details before you rely on any figure.

1. The big picture: two rights in every song

Every recorded song has two separate rights. The song itself, the music and lyrics, belongs to the songwriters and publishers. The recording, the particular performance captured on the track, belongs to whoever owns the master, and the performers on it have rights too. They are collected by different organisations, which is why one stream can pay out in more than one place.

2. PRS for Music: performance royalties for songwriters

PRS for Music collects when songs are performed or communicated to the public, which covers radio and TV, live shows, and a share of streaming. It pays songwriters, composers and publishers. You join as a writer, then register every song, with the splits agreed with your co-writers.

Each registered song is given a tunecode. If you play your own songs live, you also need to report your setlists, or the live money cannot be paid.

3. MCPS: mechanical royalties

MCPS collects when songs are copied or reproduced, which includes downloads, physical products and a share of streaming. It sits alongside PRS under PRS for Music, but it is a separate membership with its own registration.

If you release a cover, a separate licence is needed to make and distribute the recording. The guide below explains the steps.

4. PPL: money for recordings and performers

PPL collects when recorded music is played on radio and TV and in public places such as shops, bars and gyms. It pays the owner of the recording and the performers who played on it. It does not collect for on-demand streams such as Spotify, where the recording money normally goes through your distributor or label.

To be paid, you register as a recording rightsholder, as a performer, or both. Your recordings need ISRC codes, which are how plays are matched to the right track.

5. Publishing, splits and who gets what

Between the money coming in and the money reaching you sit agreements: the split between co-writers, any publishing deal, your distributor and any label. A publisher or label usually takes a share in return for what they do, and the terms matter as much as the percentage.

Agree splits in writing before a song goes anywhere. It is the single most useful habit for avoiding arguments later.

6. Distributors, beats and work for hire

Streaming income for your recordings usually passes through a distributor, so how they pay, what they charge and what they do with your codes all matter. If you make or buy beats, or work on other people's music, the licence or contract decides who owns what.

7. Keep it organised, and plan ahead

Most unclaimed royalties are lost to admin: unregistered songs, mismatched titles, missing codes and co-writers who never agreed a split. Keep one list of your songs and recordings with writers, splits, tunecodes and ISRCs. It is also worth knowing what happens to your royalties if the worst happens.

If you are not sure where you stand, start with one released track. Is the song registered with PRS and MCPS? Is the recording registered with PPL? Does it have an ISRC? Where are the splits written down? Whatever is missing is your next job. The free Starter Pack has a registration checklist to work through.